Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup
This cauliflower soup recipe is the BEST! Roasted cauliflower makes it taste amazing, and a little butter (instead of cream) makes it luxuriously creamy.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 1, 2024
Behold! Lusciously creamy, yet cream-less, cauliflower soup. This cauliflower soup recipe will absolutely satisfy your craving for warm, creamy soup—no cheese required.
I know “cauliflower soup” might not sound super appealing if you’ve never had it before. Trust me, it can be so delicious! Today, I’m sharing my favorite cauliflower soup recipe, and I can’t wait for you to make it at home.
My friend Tessa introduced me to cauliflower soup a few years ago. I loved it so much that I developed my own recipe for my cookbook, Love Real Food.
As the temps and leaves have dropped this fall, I’ve had a hankering for warm, creamy soups. So, I thought I’d share a slightly simplified version of my cauliflower soup for everyone to enjoy. Let’s make some!
Why You’ll Love This Cauliflower Soup
This soup calls for basic ingredients but yields amazing flavor. If you have a head of cauliflower in the fridge, you probably have everything else you’ll need.
This cauliflower soup is the perfect accompaniment to salads and sandwiches. This traditional cauliflower soup will go with just about any other fall or winter flavors, including butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, and greens like arugula and kale. It’ll warm you up without weighing you down!
This soup freezes well for later. This recipe doesn’t yield a ton (about 4 medium bowls), but if you have extra, just freeze it!
This creamy soup is special diet-friendly. It’s gluten free as written. Check my recipe notes to learn how to make this soup vegan/dairy free by using cashews instead of butter.
How to Make the Best Cauliflower Soup
1) Roast Your Cauliflower
Behind that creamy beige exterior, you’ll find loads of irresistible roasted cauliflower flavor. Roasted cauliflower is key here—cauliflower develops caramelized notes with a greater depth of flavor as it roasts in the oven.
2) Build Flavor
Once your roasted cauliflower is almost done, you’ll sauté onions in a soup pot until tender, then add garlic and vegetable broth. Then, add your roasted cauliflower and simmer the mixture on the stove for about 20 minutes to meld the flavors.
3) Add Butter for Creaminess
You’ll transfer the contents of the pot to a blender and add butter. Butter is an easy way to add mega creamy, luxurious flavor and texture without any cream (I borrowed this technique from my butternut squash soup). If you’re like me, you always have butter in the fridge, but rarely heavy cream!
4) Blend Until Completely Smooth
I recommend blending this soup in a stand blender, rather than an immersion blender, because stand blenders yield the creamiest results. Fortunately, the ingredients used here are fairly soft, so even an inexpensive stand blender should work well (I used my fancy Vitamix, affiliate link). The final texture, in my opinion, is absolutely worth dirtying the blender bowl for.
5) Season with Nutmeg and Lemon Juice
We’re using small, subtle amounts of nutmeg and lemon juice here. You probably won’t be able to pinpoint them while you’re sipping your soup, but they offer a certain je ne sais quoi factor. They take this soup from great to fantastic!
6) Sprinkle Something Fresh on Top
I tried garnishing my soup with fresh parsley, green onion and chives. I loved them all and couldn’t pick a favorite, so use whichever you have on hand!
Watch How to Make Cauliflower Soup
Please let me know how this recipe turns out for you in the comments! I really love hearing from you.
Having a moment with cauliflower? Here are some more of my favorite cauliflower recipes on Cookie and Kate:
- Roasted Cauliflower (Four Ways!)
- Mediterranean Cauliflower Rice
- Lemony Roasted Cauliflower Risotto
- Parmesan-Crusted Cauliflower Steaks with Marinara
- Roasted Cauliflower and Farro Salad with Feta and Avocado
Craving more soups? Don’t miss the other eight soup recipes in Love Real Food! You’ll also find quite a few more soups here on the blog.
Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup
This cauliflower soup recipe is the best! Roasted cauliflower makes it taste amazing, and a little butter (instead of cream) makes it luxuriously creamy. Recipe yields 4 bowls of soup.
Ingredients
- 1 large head cauliflower (about 2 pounds), cut into bite-size florets
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- Fine sea salt
- 1 medium red onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 4 cups (32 ounces) vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or more if needed
- Scant ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- For garnish: 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, chives and/or green onions
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. If desired, line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
- On the baking sheet, toss the cauliflower with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil until lightly and evenly coated in oil. Arrange the cauliflower in a single layer and sprinkle lightly with salt. Bake until the cauliflower is tender and caramelized on the edges, 25 to 35 minutes, tossing halfway.
- Once the cauliflower is almost done, in a Dutch oven or soup pot, warm the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and turning translucent, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds, then add the broth.
- Reserve 4 of the prettiest roasted cauliflower florets for garnish. Then transfer the remaining cauliflower to the pot. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes, to give the flavors time to meld.
- Once the soup is done cooking, remove the pot from the heat and let it cool for a few minutes. Then, carefully transfer the hot soup to a blender, working in batches if necessary. (Do not fill past the maximum fill line or the soup could overflow!)
- Add the butter and blend until smooth. Add the lemon juice and nutmeg and blend again. Add additional salt, to taste (I usually add another ¼ to ¾ teaspoon, depending on the broth). This soup tastes amazing once it’s properly salted! You can also a little more lemon juice, if it needs more zing. Blend again.
- Top individual bowls of soup with 1 roasted cauliflower floret and a sprinkle of chopped parsley, green onion and/or chives. This soup keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for about four days, or for several months in the freezer.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my cookbook, Love Real Food.
Make it dairy free/vegan: Use cashews instead of butter. Soak ¼ cup cashews for 4 hours, then drain and rinse them (if you have a high-powered blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec, you can skip this). Add the cashews when you would add the butter.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
I used an immersion blender and it ended up kind of grainy, no matter how much I blended I couldn’t get it to be “creamy”
Any tips? I don’t have a standing blender
Hi Sarah! I’m sorry to hear that. Unfortunately, it all can depend on your blender power. You could have tried to cook the cauliflower a little longer to see if you could get it softer. Or if you have a food processor instead?
Not many ingredients, easy to make, yet turns out so delicious! Loved it. Its on weekly menu now!
PS i didnt add any butter. Still rich n Yum!
Absolutely delicious, thank you!!
So good! I had about 4 ounces of cream cheese just because I had it but do not think it is necessary at all to add anything. Perfect as it is.
I made this soup last night and it was amazing! One of the best soups I’ve made. It didn’t even taste healthy! I didn’t have any lemon so left that out. Also didn’t use any cauliflower for garnish on the top. Will definitely make this again!
August 26/20.
Hello Kate. I regret to tell you that this cauliflower soup was hugely disappointing. I followed instructions precisely but it was thick, not very edible and not great to look at. I have been a vegetarian for about 25 years (ovo-lacto) and really like soups. I have a couple of stand-bys ( a cold cucumber and Mary McCartney’s Leek, white bean and zucchini.) I also make vichysoisse but use vegetable broth instead of chicken. I rate this a one star. Having said all this I love reading your recipes and intend to keep trying them. All the best.
Maurine PS Love your dog!
Great soup. However, being mostly vegan, we leave out the butter, even vegan butter. You don’t need it and it cuts down on the calories. Our recipe is very similar except that we steam the cauliflower, carrots and celery. All the other vegetables were great flavor enhancers. Although we usually use a standing blender for cream soups, we used an immersion blender for this. It was perfect. This is a great cold soup as well.
Hello! Contemplating making this soup, but I’m dairy free and nut free. What would you recommend in place of butter/cashews?
Hi Lauren! I provide substitutions when I can, and I find cashews work the best here as the substitute for the dairy. You could perhaps try a vegan butter, although I don’t think you will get the same creaminess.
Made this soup for dinner tonight and it was a huge hit. It is easy to prepare and has an amazing depth of flavor. I wouldn’t change a thing. My non-vegan husband had two bowls and has already asked me to prepare it again. A definite winner in my book! Thanks for a fabulous recipe.
That’s great to hear, Randi! Thank you so much for sharing.
I JUST FINISHED EATING IT!!! SO INCREDIBLE!! The nutmeg really makes it!!
I loved this recipe. Such a depth of flavours.
I added my own twist with extra garlic, chopped ginger, paprika, a teeny bit of turmeric & 2 strands of saffron. It was therapeutic.
Very much appreciate learning new things from this website.
This was absolutely lovely. Thank you. I didn’t add butter nor cashews and it’s still incredibly creamy
My kids, who don’t like Cauliflower soup, LOVED this recipe and the lemon kick. Thank you!
Great tasting soup. My husband loved it. A for sure do again. Thanks
The kids ate it! That is testament enough in our home. It was super easy, the flavor is perfect. My only complaint is I won’t have lunch tomorrow, they ate it all.
Delicious! Even my 11yo ate it happily
Love it! Thank you for your review, Ingy.
This was terrific! My husband, the cheese freak, had seconds and literally licked the bowl! I paired it with oven baked naan, but I can see it with garlic bread this fall…. thanks for a great tasting – Healthy – creamy soup!
This soup is so delicious – I’ve made it several times. The ONLY thing I do differently is leave some of the veg unblended. I like chunky soup!
This was outstanding, thanks! A charred-roasted mine a little bit past what you show in your picture, but this seemed to give it a really nutty flavour. Such an easy recipe too, that rewards much more than effort required!
I just made this soup for dinner tonight. After taking one bite my husband’s eyes lit up and he exclaimed: “It tastes like you took kettle cooked potato chips and made them into soup!” Roasting the cauliflower really does give it almost a potato-chippy flavor. This was such a simple recipe with no fuss. It will definitely be my go-to cauliflower soup recipe from now on!
the nutmeg made it taste like soap
Would not call it a soup it was too thick …..had to add milk to water it down a little ……more like a purée ……taste nice
Wow the lemon is a game changer!! Never thought of adding this and worked so well.
I doubled the recipe as i had two heads of cauliflower, and then realized i didn’t have enough broth so i added coconut milk. The lemon and nutmeg takes this soup to another level. This soup is amazing!!
fabulous. But I ate too much! Didn’t add any lemon. But wow!
Top marks from Darwin, Australia! Roasting the cauliflower before putting them in the pot makes a huge difference to the flavour, as does adding butter rather than cream. I didn’t have nutmeg but used Allspice (which has nutmeg in it) and it worked beautifully, as did the dash of lemon. The best-looking floret floating on the top looked great. My wife says it’s the best soup I’ve ever made! Will try your honey roasted carrots next- thank you!
Another win! So delicious, and not difficult to make. So far I’ve had great success with all of your soup recipes. This one was perfect to make on the first day of fall.
Wonderful, Steph! Thank you for sharing.
What a great recipe with just a few ingredients! My diet is mostly plant-based, so I enjoy vegetables in all shapes and forms. However the flavors do tend to get repetitive. So this was a nice change for me. Another winning point for me was that my 4-year old put it in a “yummy” category and she is very picky when it comes to vegetables.
I made this last week and it was a big hit with everyone! Roasting the cauliflower added great flavour. I plan to make it again this weekend ;-)
I am not a huge cauliflower fan but I just made this soup. OMG. Totally decadent dish!
I blended with my Vitamix and it puréed to the most creamiest beautiful soup. I will definitely make this again. Low cal and perfect for not blowing your calories out of the water.
Make it. You won’t be disappointed.
Delicious recipe!
Picked my own cauliflower out of my veggie garden this morning, , just made this soup for lunch. Beautiful, husband came back for a second bowl. Definitely a winner.
Absolutely love this soup! So creamy and full of flavor without a lot of added fats.
I tried to make this soup twice but I never managed. The first time my spouse and my 2yo son started to eat there cauliflower and we half of it before even starting the soup. The second time I couldn’t resist and decided it would make a great side dish (after eating some in secret).
Thanks for the great recipes, your website is definitely my go to when I want tasty and healthy food for my family.
Holy Schmoly! This was amazing. I used a white onion and coconut plus olive oil to roast. I also used unsalted chicken stock. This may be the most delicious soup I’ve had in years!
Best soup ever, very tasty and nice texture!
I have to say it’s my favorite so far
Oh so yummy! I have made cauliflower soup a bunch of times but I have never tried roasting the cauliflower – that is such a game changer. Also adding garlic is delish.
I scooped it all up with a bit of parsley and parmesan crisps on top. I fried some chorizo all crispy for the man (he is warming up to veggie food but it is hard to go full veggie) – that worked really well too.
Hi Kate!
Thank you so much for this super delicious recipe! It was heavenly. Looking forward to more yummy soup recipes from you.
This recipe is so simple and extremely flavorful! We made this twice within a matter of days, once for my sister who came to town. All of Kates recipes are simple with wholesome ingredients and the best flavor profiles.
This soup was awesome. Thank you. Made it today. It’s perfect on this chilly rainy fay
Oh my gosh this is SO yummy!!! I’ve just made it. Earthy, hearty, creamy, moorish. I used vegan butter and it was perfect. I think I may have over salted it some, so Will use less next time I make it, and there will be a next time!
Could this recipe be used with zucchini instead of cauliflower? (I made it with cauliflower and it was delicious). I think zucchini would have less flavor so are they other herbs or spices you would recommend when making it with zucchini?
Hi Demise, I’m not sure about zucchini here. It would be a different recipe. If you come up with a version, I would be interested to hear what you think!
This is hands down the BEST cauliflower soup I’ve ever had!! Thank you for this recipe!
This is hands down the BEST cauliflower soup I’ve ever had!! Thank you for this recipe!
PS. I used Ghee (dairy free) instead of butter.
This soup was absolutely delicious! I added a little less lemon juice based off other reviews, and it was absolutely wonderful.
I’m glad you loved it, Elizabeth! Thank you for your review.
One of the best soups I’ve ever made! Delicious & simple! So creamy & silky but without cream or milk. Cannot recommend this highly enough
Perfect tang from the lemon which compliments the roasted cauliflower. I’ve made this THREE times in 2 weeks. Delicious!
This was the saltiest soup I have ever made. My only deviation from the recipe was using butter that was not unsalted and using chicken stock instead of vegetable. Unfortunately, the end result was so salty it was totally inedible.
I would like to make this again and ignore all the steps where you add salt, only adding it at the end if necessary.
This soup has become one of my favourite’s. The seasonings salt, pepper and nutmeg at the end make all the difference to those who say it was bland atleast a 1/4 tsp of each! Although this was my first time trying it with lemon juice and I also quite liked it without the lemon juice so next time I will leave it out or reduce dramatically. I ended up adding a 1/4 cup of cheese sauce as I had 2 heads of cauliflower to use up and made cheesy cauliflower ahead of dinner. Thank you for a delicious recipe.